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~ April 2017 ~
Dear Readers,
Happy April!
It's National Poetry Month! Poetry is an art form, just like painting or singing. Poetry comes in many different styles. People of all ages can appreciate poetry. No matter what your taste is, there is a poem for you. Poetry can be serious and thoughtful, or humorous and fun. Poems can be in the form of ballads, sonnets, light verse or free verse. Poems often rhyme, but they don’t have to. Poetry can be interesting to read, and enjoyable to write. There are poems in all of us just waiting to be coaxed onto paper. Are you a poet and don't know it? Learn more about reading and writing poetry by downloading the three printables I've provided under the Freebie of the Month heading in this newsletter.
If homeschoolers had a “Poet Laureate,” it surely would be the early 20th century poet Edgar Guest! He wrote about the joys of home and family, motherhood and fatherhood, the virtues of honest labor and plain living. His poems really make you feel the love of family and a true appreciation of poetry. His down-to-earth verse is easy to read with traditional rhyme and rhythm - no "hifalutin" free verse or need to decipher hidden meanings. I've put together a collection of my favorite poems by Edgar Guest. Download the 50-page e-book here. It's a wonderful resource for reading aloud, memorization, recitation, copywork, or just for fun. Enjoy!
Featured Article
Poetry is one of my favorite subjects. I love reading, writing, and studying poems. If you have a student who likes poetry, here is a curriculum they will enjoy.
The Art of Poetry is a middle school or high school elective course that teaches how to read a poem closely and absorb its beauty, emphasizing reading poetry for pleasure. Even though the purpose of this curriculum is not for students to write their own poetry, it provides a great foundation for those who wish to do so.
The textbook focuses on comprehension and interpretation while teaching students about a variety of structures, devices, and themes which differentiate one type of poetry from another. It introduces the elements of poetry such as imagery, metaphor, symbols, tone, and the many forms that can make a poem, from sonnet to free verse.
Real poems are used to illustrate the concepts, and the author provides detailed analyses for some of them. The book has end-of-chapter activities as well as ideas for long term projects. Biographies of fifty-one poets are included along with the historical background of the poems. A teacher's manual and DVD are also available.
Read the complete review at HomeschoolingTeen.com.
Book of the Month
April is National Garden Month and Earth Day, and it's a great time for getting outdoors and studying nature. This Spring why not create a wildlife habitat for birds, butterflies, and other creatures in your yard! Gardening for Wildlife will walk you through the process of creating a wildlife-friendly yard and garden. The fully illustrated step by step guide includes: how to get started, planning checklist, required habitat elements, plant recommendations, maintenance methods, helpful habitat hints, scripture references, educational benefits, how to certify your habitat, additional resources. Gardening for Wildlife makes a great homeschool project, family activity, and year-round unit study! This 28-page e-book is only $4.95! Click here!
Famous Homeschoolers
“Two roads diverged in a wood and I -- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” The celebrated Farmer-Poet was a Homeschooled Child AND a Homeschool Dad! Read Robert Frost's biography here.
Reading Between the Lines
This set of three books from Summit Ministries offers a sequential series of compelling and helpful ways of thinking about the ideas that rule our world. The authors examine and compare the tents of Christianity to five other competing worldviews influencing the world today (Islam, Secular Humanism, Marxism, New Age, and Postmodernism), and show how their influence is manifested in the key academic disciplines operating in America’s institutions of higher learning (Theology, Ethics, Philosophy, Biology, Psychology, Sociology, Law, Politics, Economics and History).
These books are designed to help readers look more deeply at their culture and the ideas that run the world around them. Some of the issues covered include: abortion, apologetics, the arts, biotechnology, critical thinking, cults, euthanasia, leadership, radical environmentalism, radical feminism, the problem of evil, religious pluralism, scriptural reliability, and more. I'd highly recommend this series for college-bound high school seniors. Or even better, get the whole set as an Easter gift for your family! They contain a lot of food for thought to use in Bible studies or devotionals.
Understanding the Times - This title is the landmark guide to understanding the ideas and forces shaping major global events. The book covers a lot of material, but it's organized in a systematic way that is easy to follow, and it's written in an engaging, easy-to-understand writing style. After reading this book, Christians will better understand the times they live in, be better prepared to identify different worldviews, and have more fully developed their own worldview. This classic should be on the bookshelf of every Christian home, on the desk of every youth pastor, and in the hands of every Christian student headed off to college. If you only get one of the three books, it should be this one.
Understanding the Faith - This title was written as a prequel to Understanding the Times, because starting with a solid Christian worldview is vital to being able to compare and contrast Christianity against other worldviews. Understanding the Faith answers questions such as: Is God Christian? Is the Bible Anti-Science? Is Claiming Truth Intolerant? Does the Bible have authority in a world committed to relative truth? The understanding of absolute, objective truth has been largely lost in today’s culture. Spend just a few minutes discussing politics or religion and you’ll hear responses like, “There is no truth!” or “That may be true for you, but not for me.” This book is a survey of Christian apologetics for those who want to be able to effectively defend and share their faith with an unbelieving world.
Understanding the Culture - This capstone book to a groundbreaking worldview trilogy equips readers to apply a bold Christian witness to their relationships with loved ones, neighbors, and colleagues. Dr. Myers first shows readers what they can learn from Christian history— and why current lifestyle issues might not be as new as they seem. Then he addresses significant topics such as gender identity, abortion, marriage, technology, and poverty, offering biblical ideas for conversing with others in an increasingly hostile culture. This book helps believers engage biblical faith in life areas where God has placed them today. It's a must-have resource for every Christian’s bookshelf.
Learning Links
Playing with Poetry (April is National Poetry Month.)
Kindergarten Day (Friedrich Froebel, the founder of the first kindergarten, was born on April 21, 1782.)
Happy Easter (Learn about the history, traditions, and symbols of Easter; read an Easter poem; find Easter recipes and activities; and more.)
National Parks (National Park Week is April 15-23, 2017.)
Freebie of the Month
Download these free poetry printables:
Download these free Easter printables:
Resurrection Word Find
(This will keep the kids quietly occupied for a while. I tried it myself - couldn't resist! - and found about 25 words.)
Resurrection Story Strips
(Cut these out and place them inside plastic eggs.)
Easter Scripture Strips
(Cut these out and place them inside plastic eggs.)
Bonus! Print out a Lost Sheep Maze from my Psalm 23 Unit Study. Buy the e-book and get more pages like this! Click here to download my Psalm 23 Unit Study.
(Requires Adobe Reader: click here for free download.)Quote of the Month
Spring bursts today,
~By Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)
For Christ is risen and all the earth's at play.
Flash forth, thou Sun,
The rain is over and gone, its work is done.
Winter is past,
Sweet Spring is come at last, is come at last.
Bud, Fig and Vine,
Bud, Olive, fat with fruit and oil and wine
Break forth this morn
In roses, thou but yesterday a Thorn.
Uplift thy head,
O pure white Lily through the winter dead.
Beside your dams
Leap and rejoice, you merry-making Lambs.
All Herds and Flocks
Rejoice, all beasts of thickets and of rocks.
Sing, creatures, sing,
Angels and Men and Birds and everything.
All notes of Doves
Fill all our world: this is the time of loves.
A Note From Teri...
May this Easter bring hope and joy to your family... and may the love of God be resurrected, reborn, and renewed in your heart. :)
Happy Homeschooling!
P.S. Did you like this month's newsletter?
